Original Research
Occupational Health

Occupational Stress Among White Collar Employees in Esfahan Steel Company, Iran

Authors: Lotfizadeh M, Maimaiti N, Ismail NH

Affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Iran; School of Medicine, National University of Malaysia (UKMMC)

Published: Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 2014; Volume 14, Issue 1, Pages 79–81

Last reviewed: March 2026

Background

Occupational stress is recognised globally as one of the most significant health hazards affecting both blue-collar and white-collar workers. The World Health Organisation has highlighted work-related stress as a particularly important concern in developing countries, where traditional working environments are being transformed by industrialisation and globalisation. In Iran, a country with a large and diverse industrial sector, occupational stress has emerged as a major occupational health concern, yet data on stress among white-collar workers in industrial settings has been notably scarce.

The Esfahan Steel Company (ESCO), one of Iran’s largest and most important industrial enterprises, provided the setting for this research. Located along the Shahrekord road in Esfahan province, ESCO employs thousands of workers across multiple divisions, including both operational (blue-collar) and administrative (white-collar) functions. While considerable attention has been paid to the physical hazards faced by industrial workers, the psychological health of white-collar employees in such settings has received comparatively little research attention.

Study Design and Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 200 white-collar workers at ESCO who agreed to participate, achieving a response rate of 100%. Data collection was carried out through face-to-face interviews using a validated, standardised questionnaire on occupational stress. The questionnaire assessed six domains of potential stress sources: task type, economic problems, work environment, colleagues, children’s problems, and relatives.

The questionnaire demonstrated good internal consistency with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.84. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 16, with chi-square tests used for bivariate analysis and logistic regression employed to identify significant associated factors. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were reported, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Ethical approval was obtained from Esfahan University of Medical Sciences.

Principal Findings

Stress Prevalence and Sources

Approximately half of the white-collar workers at ESCO were found to be experiencing occupational stress. This prevalence rate is substantial and indicates that stress is not merely an issue for workers in physically demanding roles but also significantly affects those in administrative and managerial positions.

Among the six measured sources of stress, economic problems emerged as the dominant stressor, reported by 117 participants (59.7%). This finding reflects the broader economic challenges faced by Iranian workers, including inflationary pressures, housing costs, and the economic impact of international sanctions. The prominence of financial stress as a workplace concern underscores the interconnection between macroeconomic conditions and individual occupational well-being.

Statistical analysis confirmed significant associations between stress and four of the six measured domains. Task type, economic problems, and work environment were all highly significant (p = 0.0001), while children-related problems showed a borderline significant association (p = 0.05). These findings suggest that both workplace-specific factors (task demands, physical environment) and personal-economic factors (financial strain, family responsibilities) converge to create the overall burden of stress experienced by white-collar workers.

Complementary Findings from Operational Workers

The same research group conducted a parallel study among 400 male operational (blue-collar) employees at ESCO, published in a complementary paper. Among these workers, 53% were classified as experiencing stress. Logistic regression identified several significant predictors: a monthly salary below $600 (OR = 1.88; 95% CI: 1.21–2.94), family-related problems (OR = 2.75; 95% CI: 1.22–6.21), work environment (OR = 3.09; 95% CI: 1.78–5.33), and holding a second job (OR = 2.68; 95% CI: 1.78–6.78). A broader study of 600 workers across both categories using the DASS-21 instrument found that 93.2% reported some level of stress, with economic problems again being the most common reason (58.9%), followed by task type (33.2%) and work environment and colleagues (29.8% and 29% respectively).

Implications

The findings have important implications for occupational health policy in large industrial enterprises. The identification of economic problems as the primary stressor suggests that workplace interventions alone may be insufficient to address occupational stress—broader policies addressing wage adequacy, employee benefits, and financial wellness programmes may be necessary components of a comprehensive approach.

The significant association between work environment and stress in both white-collar and blue-collar workers highlights the importance of ergonomic and environmental improvements in industrial settings. For white-collar workers specifically, this may encompass office design, noise levels, lighting, air quality, and the physical organisation of workspaces.

Limitations

The cross-sectional design limits causal inference. The study was conducted at a single industrial enterprise, and findings may not generalise to white-collar workers in other sectors or smaller organisations. The all-male composition of the operational worker study limits the applicability of those specific findings to female workers. Self-reported stress measures may be subject to various reporting biases. The cut-off point for the stress scale was adapted from Western-developed instruments, and while efforts were made to validate this for the Iranian context, cross-cultural differences in stress perception and reporting may influence results.